Wind instrument



u. T. THOMAS'SIA N. WIND INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED AUG. I5, I918.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

' g I warmm DANIEL '1. THOMASSIAN, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

WIND INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

Application filed August 15, 1918. Serial No. 249,979.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL T. THOMAS- SIAN, a subject of Turkey, and resident of St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, United States of America, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVind Instruments, of which the following is a speoificationj This invention relates to. wind instrumen-ts, and particularly to a type of instrument in which the pitch of the tone is determined by digitally manipulating the vibrating element or tongue.

In carrying out the invention, I preferably provide a horn or bell-shaped body to amplify the resonance due to the vibratory action of that portion of the instrument (hereinafter referred to as a tongue) directly manipulated by the player.

To the front end of the bell I preferably arrange a flexible diaphragmous tongue, which may be curved back upon itself by the fingers of the player, in such manner as to present a vibratory edg'e'subjected to impulses directed by the breath of the operator to vibrate it so as to produce the necessary sound, the pitch being determined by the manipulation of the tongue by the fin gers of the player.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wind instrument, constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the same;

Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detailed sectional views, showing different positions of the instrument in the course of being operated; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are detailed views of the tongue detached.

Referring now to the drawings by numeralsof reference, 1 designates a horn or bell in the form of a truncated cone, at the smaller end of which is a diaphragmous flexible tongue 2, of rubber or the like. The tongue is provided with a restricted portion 3, adapted to be fastened at 4 to the lower portion of the horn 1, and projects beyond the upwardly and outwardly curved portion 5, which terminates at the point 6, formed by said curved portion and the inwardly curved portion 7, the latter being adapted to receive the upper lip of the player. Inasmuch as the tongue 2, projects beyond the smaller end of the horn 1, it may be digitally manipulated so as to be curved upwardly and inwardly, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, to bring this upper edge into vibratory position as to be responsive to the breath of the player when blown over the upper edge thereof and into the horn. The lower lip of the operator may be pressed against the tongue as shown in Fig. 3, to force it in substantially the position shown in Fig. 4, the fingers in the meantime providing the necessary tension or stretching of the tongue to produce the desired pitch, it being understood that the more tension applied the higher the pitch, and vice versa. \Vhen the instrument is in the position shown in Fig.

4, the player may breathe over the upper edge thereof, as indicated in Fig. 5, to produce the necessary vibration on the susceptible portion of the tongue. The different positioning of the fingers may vary the tonal qualities of the instrument to a considerable extent, so that airs may be played upon the instrument with considerable case after the same is understood.

The form of the device may be altered without departing from the spirit of the invention, the essential feature being the flexible tongue capable of being manipulated with the fingers to vary the pitch and responsive to the air blown over the edge thereof.

The pitch is controlled by the amount of tension applied to the flexible tongue. The tongue is put under tension by grasping the edges and stretching it as desired.

I claim 1. In an instrument of the class described, a horn and a flexible digitally controllable tongue extending therefrom and having a vibratory edge.

2. In an instrument of the class described, a horn and a tongue projecting therefrom, composed of material adapted to be stretched, and having a vibratory edge.

8. In an instrument of the class described, a horn, a digitally operated flexible tongue extending from one end of the horn and plurvable upwardly and inwardly toward the orn.

4. In an instrument of the class described, the combination with a horn of a flexible tongue member consisting of material adapted to be stretched, and capable of being curved back upon itself to receive impulses of air directed against it and through the horn.

DANIEL T. THOMASSIAN. 

